EXPERIENCE

Longshore Golf Club / Westport, CT

Golf Course Superintendent March 2024 - Present

Green Brook Country Club / North Caldwell, NJ

Golf Course Superintendent October 2020 - March 2024

• A strong passion for the game of golf and its rich history with a proven ability to assess course conditions rapidly and develop tailored solutions to optimize playability and aesthetic appeal from a player’s perspective.

• Effectively managed an operating budget of over $1.4 million which includes Golf Course Maintenance, Landscape Maintenance, and Snow Removal.

• Worked closely with a team of professionals including the General Manager, Director of Golf/Assistant General Manager, and club house staff to provide an exceptional environment for members and their guests.

• Orchestrated the recruitment, hiring, training, and motivation of a largely Spanish speaking seasonal staff to manage and maintain over 170 acres of turfgrass and clubhouse grounds.

• Spearheaded all aspects of fertilizer and plant protectant applications, overseeing material procurement, mandatory annual government filings, and maintenance of state and local permits.

• Monitored and managed irrigations systems to achieve visually pleasing turf and establish firm, fast playing conditions. Undertook comprehensive in-house upgrades to a 30-year-old irrigations system, encompassing valve replacements, main-line repairs, pump house overhauls and more.

• Led an in-house renovation for the practice facility including bunker reshaping, chipping area expansion, green expansion and regrassing of playing surfaces to accommodate a growing membership.

• Introduced an extensive program of diverse cultural practices targeting thatch reduction on all playing surfaces resulting in improved turf health and playability.

• Implemented a comprehensive rough overseeding program to introduce drought tolerant turf varieties in unirrigated locations.

• Initiated strategic initiatives for the addition of new bunker lining, enhancing overall bunker playability by adding new bunker sand.

• Developed innovative ways to reduce water usage while still maintaining the highest standards of playing conditions.

• Committed to staying informed on environmental issues, including best practices in water conservation, soil erosion control, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, and methods for minimizing pesticide usage.

Round Hill Club / Greenwich, CT

Assistant Superintendent January 2014 - October 2020

Round Hill Club is a high end private club located in southern Fairfield county. Built in 1922 by Walter Travis, the club is ranked annually as a top private club in the state of Connecticut.

• Co-Managed a $1.4 million bunker and green surround restoration. The intent of the project was to re-establish the original Walter Travis design. This included restoring and reshaping all green surrounds, bunker shaping and placement, as well as expanding fairways back to original dimensions.

• Personally managed and carried out the re-installation of all irrigation removed throughout the aforementioned restoration project.

• Organized and executed several in-house projects with responsibilities including controlling, calculating, and purchasing of materials, coordinating labor, and documenting changes.

• Maintained an aggressive agronomic program designed to maintain A-4 Bentgrass greens with USGA greens mix and improve the overall turf quality to the entire facility.

• An integral part of an Environmental Master Plan, designed to set both long and short-term goals, focused on achieving meaningful improvements in the areas of human health, environmental habitat, and resource conservation.

• Set up, monitored and managed daily and nightly irrigation requirements, evaluated playing conditions, scouted the property and helped the Superintendent exceed membership’s expectations.

• Kept accurate and detailed records of both chemical inventory and applications that were useful in controlling and purchasing of inventory.  These documents were not only a positive influence in planning future chemical control strategies, but helpful for preparing the club’s annual pesticide usage reports.

• Helped campaign a successful tree management program designed to remove all unsafe and undesirable specimen trees while replanting indigenous species.

• Assumed responsibility of preparing the necessary documents to re certify the club as a Cooperative Sanctuary through Audubon International; as well as hosting local community members in on-site visits pertaining to this re-certification process.

• Spearheaded the establishment of one acre of naturalized area designed to cater to pollinators as well as the Monarch Butterfly, in coordination with the Audubon and Monarchs in the Rough to help promote more biodiversity on the golf course through the planting of regionally specific wildflowers and milkweed.

• Communicated directly with club officials and the membership in connection with the pollinator project.

• Alleviated many administrative responsibilities from the Superintendent including equipment and chemical inventory, employee development, payroll and record keeping.

• Reorganized and operated the department’s recruitment procedures to more effectively staff our operation.

• Accompanied and aided Superintendent in all appointments pertaining to our operation and helped facilitate the production and presentation of a majority of the materials presented to the Membership.

Oak Hill Country Club / Pittsford, NY

2nd Assistant Superintendent May 2010 - December 2013

• Assisted Manager of Grounds and Superintendents on a disciplined agronomic plan designed to get the playing conditions to coincide with the PGA’s expectations for their Major Championship.

• Participated in an accelerated restoration process following the PGA Championship designed to restore tees, fairways, and rough from damage incurred during tournament infrastructure removal, spectator traffic, removal of temporary access roads, and media disruptions.

• Helped facilitate the completion of several large projects including additional tee construction to lengthen the golf course, green surround reshaping and regrassing to create run-off areas into Allen’s Creek, and bunker refinishing prior to the PGA Championship.

• Trained and assisted with the development of new turf employees on safe and proper pesticide handling and storage, calibration, and record keeping. 

• Mastered two different water management strategies while working on the two courses on Oak Hill property.

• Established on-site nurseries, consisting of Poa Annua and Creeping Bentgrass found on the East and West course.  Using plant tissue removed during one of the aerification processes provided us the security of readily available, equally consistent turf on the property. 

• Completed annual drainage projects to help decrease wet conditions to improve playability and limit disease pressure during the warmer months.

Van Patten Golf Club / Clifton Park, NY

Assistant Superintendent May 2007 - November 2010

A 27 hole public course just outside of Saratoga, NY. A staple golf course in the area, I was able to get my feet wet working here and learned the basics of golf course management.